Nourish not Punish: Insights into food as fuel

In my previous blog, I wrote about being tormented by pain for the last couple of months. This blog is a continuation of the same, but focussed on food. You will learn some interesting things about food enzymes, the most optimum way to cook your food and specific aspects of various foods to fight inflammation.

It is simple logic. Food is an integral and fundamental part of our health. Most health and wellness experts will tell you that, exercise/movement without the support of food might even be futile. Like you are trying to fill a bucket with a hole. The reason food is so important in any healing is because it is the nourishment and medicine that the body needs to recover and energise.

When pain and inflammation is overpowering, then every item of what we put in our mouths and bellies must be considered and managed carefully to make each day a soothing salve.

Before you read through, a caveat:

You know that I am a yoga educator not a dietitian (my sister is) or a nutritionist, this information is from my own learning and research (swadhyay) to try and understand what I eat and how it affects me.

Insights into what makes food cause inflammation.

At our age, we know that what we eat plays a major role in the way we feel and the energy we receive in the body. But even the way we cook our food makes a big difference. Many foods can create inflammation. When there is inflammation, the body sends Fibrin (a type of protein) to these parts to heal inflammation. Usually, the body uses enzymes that can reduce fibrin when its completed its healing. But as we get older and with the decline in female hormones, the body also experiences a decline in these enzymes. This causes the frequency and degree of pain we experience to be much higher.

This is when being informed and mindful comes into play. Understanding what foods tips the balance towards experiencing a higher degree of inflammation can help us maintain equilibrium in the body and mind.

6 things that have a direct impact on inflammation. Most of these you will probably know but you might find some new nuggets!

1. Sugar - This might seem the most obvious. While you might be careful about how much sugar you consume, it is the hidden sugars that we need to look out for. E.g. even 1 can of fizzy drink (40gms of added sugar) can lead to increase in inflammatory markers, insulin resistance and bad cholesterol. Even store brought fruit juices will have sugar in it, let alone cakes and cookies. The best sugar to eat is the natural sugars in fruits and if you did need to sweeten your food, something like jaggery (hardened molasses), maple syrup or last option raw sugar.

2. Alcohol - We definitely cannot drink as much as we used to in our 20s and 30s. Apart from a high sugar content, alcohol impacts other aspects of our life: sleep, weight gain, hot flashes, night sweats. If you have managed to completely give up drinking that is great. But if you still enjoy a drink, that is OK. Life is about finding a balance. 1-2 drinks once a week is what I do, that too if there is an occasion or I am seeing friends. If you are reaching for a non alcoholic drink, check the sugar content if you are reaching for a juice or a fizzy drink.

3. Gluten - A big known fact is that gluten can increase inflammation in some. When I reduce my intake of bread/pasta etc, I instantly notice a change in the way I feel (more energy, less sluggish, less bloaty) . In fact I rarely eat bread and pasta (apart from the occasional Vogels). It doesn't mean to say you give up eating your favourite 'molto bene' pasta dish at the local Italian. It means you become mindful of whether it aggravates your aches and pains the next day, and eat food to counter that inflammation which I will talk about below.

4. Processed oily, fast food - no brainer, do I even want to write anything about oily foods. If you are eating oily foods make sure it is your most most most most most favourite item of food ever in the whole world.

How we cook the food can also impact the enzymes.

5. Overcooking - overboiling and overcooking veg, can remove the enzymes which are required to combat the fibrin that cause pain. This can increase our chance to experience pain.

6. Blackened and barbequed food. I was a tad sad about this and was so very interesting for me learn about. We love BBQ in our household and through summer have a bbq almost every evening even on school nights! Blackened food and exposing high levels of heat to food can destroy enzymes in the food making the foods highly inflammatory.

The best way to cook foods.

Stewing, broiling, poaching, steaming, slow cooking. The good news (especially for us going into summer) is that RAW food can increase food enzymes and so are good for you. Yay for salads especially pack with anti inflammatory spices like cumin and pepper.

Its not all doom and gloom. I am not going to be sitting eating boiled veg and not enjoying the occasional plate of my favourite truffle fries!

Life is all about having a balance, innit! We cannot live like hermits abstaining and not eating what brings us joy, all the time. We need to have FUN and live life to the fullest.

One way to manage inflammation is to counter balance when you have indulged or eaten food that might aggravate symptoms.

Certain foods that have higher content of specific enzymes that can help fight inflammation.

1. Pineapple: Proteolytic enzymes (Bromelain) found in pineapples short circuits multiple pain pathways in the body, reduces swelling and removes waste and toxins in the blood

2. Turmeric extract - Research shows that turmeric is more safe and precise than aspirin in stopping inflammation by shutting down the cox2 enzyme responsible for arthritis pain

3. Papain - papaya attacks tumor cells

4. Devil's claw - Reduces pain and inflammation has such effective and strong impact on treating arthritis pain that it is even used to treat pain in horses. Available in most wellness stores.

5. Boswellia extract (Dhup) - An Indian medicine that traditional healers in Indian use for treating arthritis and pain. It helps blood circulation, reduces pain and swelling, increase in mobility and joints

6. Ginger extract - Used for 2500 years in Asia to reduce inflammation and pain. Decreases amount of prostaglandin which causes you to feel arthritis pain

7. Citric bioflavonoids - Found in citrus fruit, aid in absorption of vitamins and acts as antioxidants, protect against free radical damage

Another big factor that helps with reducing pain and inflammation in the body is how rested you feel. The quality and duration of your sleep directly impacts the pain you feel. I've created a three part Deep Rest toolkit to give you some insights into sleep, stretch the back to release pain and a guided rest practice. Click on link below to download.

The Deep Rest Toolkit

I am in the process of planning a few webinars and would like to know any pressing issues and symptoms that you might be going through. Yoga has the power and the science to back to help you manage these symptoms in a holistic and natural way. You can feel a bit more in control of your body and feel much calmer and happier in the mind. I would love for you to provide me with the information below to help curate more targeted webinars that will be free for you to access and use.

with gratitude,

Purnima

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• Body, Joint Pain and Inflammation
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• Insomnia
• Lower Back pain

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